Spoon question AND let's see your carving projects!

HikingMano

HikingMano

Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
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During my study breaks, I've been working on carving and whittling to learn/practice control and technique. I started off doing letters...well...multiples of a single letter...A...actually:o:D, and I'm working on a spoon now. I'm at work so I don't have any pics to post yet, but how does one carve the spoon bowl without the use of a coal or a bowl knife? Do you just gouge the hole out and then try to smooth it down afterwards?

I'll post some pics later of my first spoon effort, but I stupidly carved the entire spoon before realizing I should have done the bowl first, while the wood had a flat and stable base :o. Talk about a lapse in common sense:rolleyes:. So I'm going to save that one for a coal burnout this weekend, and start on a brand-new spoon (this time starting with the general outline and bowl).

Anyway, show me some of your recent carving, whittling, wood working! I'd like to pick up ideas for future projects and maybe learn a few tips in the process. This might also help foxyrick come up with projects to pass the time while he’s off his feet :thumbup:. It can be anything from spoons and pipes to traps, hell, even furniture, post em up!:D
 
Not very recent but heres a couple of my early attempts at making bows. The one was a failed try at making a static recurve which might could be saved with some beefing up of the handle area and ALOT of work. I messed up the handle something fierce and it never got past 30%.

The other was one of my very first trys the tiller is terrible and the poundage was way less than I was shooting for.

Both were super fun to screw up!:o

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I think Ive put this pic up before. Heres one still in the making that I have very high hopes for. Ive been working on it for almost a year.:o I work on it only when I really want to and if I get frustrated or tired I put it away for later. The first two taught me not to rush. ;)

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The sucky thing is a had a crapload of spoons Id carved a while back that just got chunked. I had a hellova time with the bowl part to. I burned one out with coals and just made a royal mess of that one:D But it was still functional.
 
I don't know how much the curved bowl carving knives are but I know I can get a hoof knife at the feed store for about 5 bucks. I don't think they are much more than 5 bucks at Tractor Supply Co. even. Maybe try one of those for the bowl carving part.

I guess you could also wrap some sand paper around a small rock but that seems like it would take forever.

I have also thought a small wood chisel would work well for spoon carving.

Hope some of this helps
David
 
Runsalone, good stuff man! I know next to nothing about bows, but that definitely looks like a good project to work on :thumbup: I'll have to keep an eye out for the one your working on now, good luck!

David, I'll definitely look into that :thumbup:. I should just get a regular ole hook knife or chisel, but I want to try my hand at doing it entirely with a regular belt knife first. I think doing things like carving utensils and traps really helps one learn how to employ a knife most efficiently.

Let me see if I can get some pics up now. :)
 
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I know it's not pretty, and I'm still working on smoothing it out, but I'm pretty excited about it (i know, it's only a spoon...) As you can see, I made the bowl area pretty narrow, it looks like a paddle :o. I'm going to make sure to start it out nice and wide on the next one.

I alternated between my 510, Clipper, and F1 while making this guy. I think I ended up preferring the Clipper. :thumbup:

ETA: I forgot to add some pics of a couple of "A"s :D Nothing spectacular or finished, but still kinda fun.

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I used my 510, Clipper, Bravo-1, or F1 to work on little guys like these, and I used the reamer and saw on my Vic OHT to make and bore out the holes like in the triangle shaped "A". I realize I don't have anything in the shots for reference, but the house shaped one is about 3.5 cm tall by 3 cm long, and the triangle shaped one is about 4.5 cm tall by 9 cm wide.
 
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Started on a paddle a while ago, but became too busy and its just been sitting in the closet.
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My first attempt at a spoon.:) Carved out of a single piece of maple using only a Busse BAD. Hole and burning was done with a hot nail. Rksoon dont worry, the last thing I carved was the bowl of the spoon;) I think a little sanding and some linseed oil and it will be all done.
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Fonly, right on man, looking forward to seeing how that paddle turns out! :thumbup: I'm gathering you only used the Wetterlings (correct me if I'm wrong) and RC-6 for that?

Ghostguy, wow! That's a good first spoon! I hope mine comes out looking that smooth :thumbup: Ok, I guess carving the bowl last can be done :D. Obviously I need to just stop thinking about it and do it. Good stuff ghostguy, thanks!
 
rksoon said:
Runsalone, what knife is that in your pic by the way?
Click to expand...

LOL! I get that everytime I post a pic.:foot: I do the drawknife work on my bow projects with it. Its a blank I got from Jantz supply about 8 or 9 years ago. I bolted some rough hickory slabs to it and called it good.:cool: Heck I guess that counts as a carving project.:D

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One day if I ever have money again I might get sombody to make a sheath for it that doesnt suck:o:D
 
That is one good lookin knife man, good job on the handle :thumbup: I dig it.

There seem to be very few people carving/whittling stuff out there! Where is everyone?:confused:


Gouged out the bowl on the first spoon today with the F1 (great tip). Not pretty, but after a little more work and some smoothing down with a rock, it'll be functional. It fits my hand surprisingly well, and I kept a little knob at the end that comes up nicely right against my pinky finger. The grip is really comfortable.

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The balance is great! :p

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Don't mind the long nails...I've been steadily regressing to a caveman like existence over the past few weeks, with all the studying.... I miss the sun :grumpy:
 
Awesome guys! Those spoons are beauties...they make my spoon look like chewed cud :D Qrt, did you sand your spoons down to get them that smooth?

Marcelo, how did you and TonyM get your bowls so nice and wide?

And +1 on TF's question. I'd like to know too. :thumbup:
 
Runsalone said:
LOL! I get that everytime I post a pic.:foot: I do the drawknife work on my bow projects with it. Its a blank I got from Jantz supply about 8 or 9 years ago. I bolted some rough hickory slabs to it and called it good.:cool: Heck I guess that counts as a carving project.:D

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homadeknife006.jpg


One day if I ever have money again I might get sombody to make a sheath for it that doesnt suck:o:D
Click to expand...

great looking blade looks just like this
http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?products_id=1326
 
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